Assignment 2. Case 5.1 Yahoo In China. Business & Marketing

Yahoo in China
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Yahoo in China
Yahoo should have considered the privacy and confidential terms in stipulation irrespective of the outside force from the government. In this case, the company cannot evade the fact they are traitors, in exposing the personal information about one of their clients (Mr. Shi). Yahoo should note that the controversy is not only a moral issue in business ethics but also a factor that could affect their business negatively. The incidence could result in some consumers leaving the organization in search of better alternatives. Although the company claims that the Chinese government is its first consumer, it should have considered the needs and reputation of the other clients in line. Liu Xiaobo is right to say that Yahoo is a traitor since they betrayed one of their consumers in favor of the needs of another client (Shaw, 2017). Hence, Yahoo is a traitor to Mr. Shi, and the company should have weighed the impact of their decision on him before the actual revelation of the information desired by the government.
In my view, I think that Yahoo was wrong in assisting the Chinese authorities to access the personal details of Mr. Shi. The authorities in the company should have considered the enormous impact of the action on the company at the expense of fulfilling the interest of one person while an opponent suffers the consequences. If I was in charge of the company during that period, the controversy could not have been implemented. The company ought to observe ethics in business operations to ensure that every consumer is comfortable with every single outcome in their activities. I think Yahoo should have promoted the implementation of a culture that supports long term health in the business instead of focusing on the short-term greed of one party in the achievement of self-interest (McLeod, 2020). The company should have focused on the interest of business by considering the impact of the action on Mr. Shi. Although the government holds the authority in a country, it should not interfere with the other sectors operating in the country, and that includes businesses. On the other hand, Yahoo should have ignored the risk of putting its business in jeopardy.
Jerry Yang is wrong to say that the company had no choice. Although the company might have been pushed into the action legally, they should have looked into other options instead of doing what the authorities required of them. Business units should understand that no reason can justify deviance from morals. It’s unethical for a business to follow legal requirements and avoid the institution of morals in their conduct (Bradevanrosen, 2011). Hence, Yang is not correct in stating that Yahoo did not have any other choice apart from following the legal requirements by the government.
Although companies, including Yahoo, Microsoft, and Google, take various actions to reveal responsibility and accountability in their business operations, they could also deviate from the most desirable morals in the industry without their knowledge. For instance, the controversy at Yahoo raised the alarm at Microsoft and Google as well. What would the companies do to continue trading in China and keep their businesses safe? Wha...